Tears of the Black Tiger

Now here's something you don't see every day: a Thai Western. The debut directorial effort of screenwriter Wisit Sasanatieng, Tears of the Black Tiger is as much a pastiche as a parody, but it's played absolutely straight by the principal players. Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan), the son of a peasant farmer, loves Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi), the daughter of his province's wealthy governor. Class differences threaten to keep them apart, but Dum is prepared to risk breaking societal taboo, until his father is murdered, after which Dum joins a bandit gang and becomes the dreaded Black Tiger, out to revenge his father's death. The Tiger's chief pursuer is a young police captain named Kumjorn (Arawat Ruangvuth), who also loves Rumpoey. Imagine a Sergio Leone Western crossed with a Thai version of Romeo and Juliet and that will give you some idea of what this delightfully delirious romp offers. The flamboyant action sequences, day-glo cinematography, and faux-Morricone musical score all enhance this wacky film, which pulls off the neat trick of simultaneously inspiring laughter and admiration. Recommended. (E. Hulse)